A common problem with hauling long loads in vehicles is that the center of gravity of the load may shift rearward due to acceleration and cause the load to fall off or destabilize the vehicle. This often occurs in pickup trucks, and is made more likely by bed liners, which typically have a lower coefficient of friction than the vehicle paint. Simply tying the load down, while increasing the frictional retentive force somewhat, may be insufficient to prevent this shift. An apparatus is needed to prevent this shift positively, quickly, and inexpensively.
This invention is a flexible grommetted shroud that can be pulled over the end of a load, e.g., lumber, and tied by means of rope, twine, strap or an extension of the shroud itself (collectively referred to here as xe2x80x9ctiesxe2x80x9d) to cleats on the truck so as to prevent rearward movement of the load. (Such a shroud could likewise be placed over the front of the load, but usually the truck cab is sufficient to limit forward motion.) An object of this invention is to improve the security with which a load can be held in a vehicle. A further object of the invention is to provide this increased security inexpensively. It is another object of the invention to reduce the time it takes to secure a load in a vehicle. It is another object of this invention to provide weatherproof cover for the load in combination with this security. It is another object of the invention to retain the load without having to lift up the load to fasten it. It is another object of the invention to provide an extended load warning flag with the additional load retention security. It is a further object of the invention to provide a strengthened grommet attachment to cloth for withstanding the shifting forces created by a load in acceleration.